Okay, I've jumped on the coupon bandwagon. Here is what I think- You can save money, but it will cost you in time. I have this elaborate notebook with baseball card pages and am getting the newspaper every week with double coupons. My coupons are not filed often enough so I still spend time standing in the aisles looking through the stack of clipped coupons. I signed up with The Grocery Game but have used it only once. I plan to cancel it soon. The Coupon Mom site was interesting and probably gave me the most help out of all the websites. A friend came over and helped me navigate the Southern Savers site and that's where I will probably print off my lists, if I ever get time to actually do that before I run out the door to buy groceries.
The idea that I can use coupons to get the best deals on the items that I buy is the most appealing to me. I like stock piling items that we need often; no one wants to run to the store at the very moment of certain needs. I have to be careful not to buy things we don't eat or want just because it's only 20 cents a box. There are items that can be gotten for free if you work the system right. I hear stories of people who buy their groceries for 50-80% off of the retail prices. One person even told me that it pays her to use coupons but she has to go to many different stores and doesn't have children at home to school or ferry around.
The biggest problem I see is that we don't eat like that. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and I don't see how you can save 50% on those things because there is almost no coupons for that stuff. Another issue is how the cashiers react. My goal at the grocery store is to be a witness as well as feed my family at the best price possible. But if it means I have to wrangle with a clerk over a 45 cents coupon I plan to choose not. Also, there is a price you pay for spending time with your children. If it comes in the price of groceries, that's where I have to spend it. If I can spend that time with the girls I will, that's why I won't abandon the system completely.
2 comments:
Lori,
Glad to hear you are on the wagon :)
I have had some of the same frustrations with couponing. We use many items that aren't cheap like organic soaps/hair care. A friend of mine managed to get her grocery bill down to $50 a week! No matter how hard I tried, mine never got close. I was growing frustrated! I then found out the difference and why mine wasn't matching up. We spend $40-50 every two weeks on produce. We eat quality, unprocessed foods (usually). I am also feeding three males! I am excited to save $20 in coupons. Sometimes mine is more and sometimes it is less. It all depends on our needs, sales, and what coupons I have. I did learn a few tricks for getting coupons though.
1)sign up online for the stores that you DO shop at (ie. target, kroger, etc.)
2)target has coupons on their site at the bottom it reads "grocery coupons". You can use coupons that say "target coupons" along with MFR coupons on the the same item for double savings.
3)When printing coupons select grayscale-black ink cartridge only to save on ink.
Don't get frustrated if your bill doesn't seem as low as others and remember that eating healthy will generally cost more. I have cut my groceries down to two stores. Find what works for you. I cannot go everyday to a different store just to get one or two things cheap. I do what I can.
Hope this helps!
-Megan
Thanks for the comments. Teh girls like it better because we have a better variety of snacks now.
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